'Instead of selling 10-acre plots...': Indian entrepreneur urges Centre to create ready-to-use factory parks for first-time founders

Launching a software business is far easier than starting a manufacturing venture, according to Indian entrepreneur Prakash Dadlani, who has urged the Government of India to create ready-to-use manufacturing parks that lower the cost and complexity of setting up factories.

In a post on X, Dadlani said a salaried person can start building a software application or digital services agency with just a laptop and an internet connection. However, he noted that manufacturing requires land, factory space, expensive machinery, 6–12 months of approvals and significant upfront capital, making it difficult for first-time entrepreneurs to enter the sector.

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To solve this, Dadlani proposed that the government build manufacturing parks specifically for first-time entrepreneurs. He suggested that instead of selling 10-acre industrial plots, authorities should create buildings with ready-to-use factory units measuring 500–1,000 square feet that can be rented on a month-to-month basis.

 

 

He further said each unit should come with 3-phase electricity already connected, pollution and fire approvals already cleared, shared CNC machines, injection moulding facilities, testing labs, warehouses, common logistics and loading docks, and a single online portal that allows entrepreneurs to book a unit within seven days.

According to Dadlani, such a model would significantly reduce the barriers to entering manufacturing while giving aspiring founders the flexibility to experiment without making large financial commitments.

He added that engineers should be able to keep their jobs while testing manufacturing ideas on a small scale, arguing that India has already built co-working spaces for software startups and that "it's time we built co-factories for manufacturing."

Dadlani tagged the Prime Minister's Office, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the Ministry of MSME and NITI Aayog, urging policymakers to consider the proposal as a way to encourage more first-time manufacturing entrepreneurs.